Billionaire Real Estate Tycoon Distances Himself From Son Over $2 Million Man Cave ‘Scam’

David Bren, a son of billionaire real estate developer Donald Bren, is facing several lawsuits accusing him of taking more than $2 million from investors with promises of a playground for the rich. Now, his father is publicly distancing himself from his namesake.

In an email to Realtor.com®, Paul Hernandez, spokesperson for Donald and his business, Irvine Company, wrote: "We do not have a personal or business relationship with this individual."

The terse statement, neither acknowledging nor addressing the son by name, underscores the decades of distance between the two men.

The state of Donald's relationship with his son David became public in 2010 when the then-18-year-old and his sister, Christie, then 22, sued their father for about $100 million in back child support, according to CNBC.

During opening statements in the jury trial, the elder Bren's attorney, John Quinn, said the wealthy developer did not make or break any promises.

"This is not a case about whether Mr. Bren was a good father, a bad father, or an indifferent father,” said Quinn during the opening statements in 2010. "He wasn’t around, so he wasn’t a father for most of the time. ... He’s never going to be to those children father of the year."

The elder Bren never married David's mother, but it came out during the trial that financial contracts were made to provide for the children.

The billionaire even testified in front of his children: "We weren't married, we weren't a family. I never told her I loved her," said Donald, according to ABC News.

A jury sided with the billionaire, ruling he did not have to pay back child support payments to his adult children.

A recent Los Angeles Times article claimed that Donald agreed to pay for David and Christie's education until each turned 25, providing them with roughly $9 million in support ahead of the trial.

Investors were signed up to 'The Bunker'

David, 33, faces several lawsuits that accuse him of swindling investors out of a monthly membership fee to "The Bunker"—a man cave, so to speak, for the wealthy. The $14,500 monthly membership offered access to a "fleet of high-end vehicles including Ferraris, Bugattis and Porsches," according to the Times.

Members were promised access to private spaces, curated dining experiences, high-end wines, and cigars—the ultimate, exclusive members-only experience. The Times reports that, according to a lawsuit filed by two investors, some of the founding members included "Shark Tank" investor Mark Cuban, fashion designer and L.A. oil fortune heir August Getty, and Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

The lawsuits accuse David of making up the business pitch, known as "the Soho House for car lovers." Most backers claim they lost at least six-figure sums in the scheme between 2020 and 2022, according to New York Post.

A lawsuit accuses him of leading "a charade designed to lure investors ... to fund his own extravagant lifestyle."

"The Bunker does not exist," another lawsuit claims. "There is no ultra-high end automotive club. There are not members. The business is a mirage."

The publication goes on to report that some close to the younger Bren say the "33-year-old's plans were genuine, but suggested he ran into impossible headwinds trying to launch a high-end social club at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic."

David's estranged father, Donald, is a billionaire real estate developer who, according to Forbes, has a portfolio that includes hundreds of office buildings, apartment complexes, and retail and entertainment properties. He also owns all of Manhattan's MetLife Building, buying out a minority stake in 2024.

The 93-year-old followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also a real estate investor.